1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Coupé

• Rare coachbuilt model
• The height of motoring luxury in its day
• Present ownership since 2006
• Professionally stored since acquisition

Launched in 1962, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III and its Bentley S3 equivalent employed the 6.2-litre V8 engine introduced on the 'Cloud II/S2 - though with larger carburettors, a new distributor and raised compression ratio - and came with a four-speed GM-derived automatic transmission as standard equipment. Most obvious among many changes from the preceding models was the adoption of four-headlamp lighting.

As well as the factory-bodied cars, bespoke creations from James Young and the recently merged firm of H J Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd (by this time Rolls-Royce-owned) continued to be available on the 'Cloud III chassis for those discerning enthusiasts wealthy enough to afford them. Indeed, as the factory did not offer a convertible or drophead coupé, a coachbuilt car was the only option if one's preference was Rolls-Royce-style fresh air motoring. First introduced in 1958, H J Mulliner's was the most successful of its type, lasting into 1963; more modern 'straight-through wing' designs became the preferred style thereafter. Of the latter, by far the most striking were those bodied in a style originated by Park Ward. This design by Norwegian Vilhelm Koren, with its influential continuous front-to-rear wing line, first appeared in 1959 on the Bentley S2 Continental but did not become available on non-Continental models (both Bentley and Rolls-Royce) until after the arrival of the Silver Cloud III and S3 in 1962. These models constituted the majority of coachbuilt variants completed between 1962 and 1966.

This Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Coupé ('two-door saloon' in factory parlance) was supplied new to L P Lee, Esq of Coventry via dealer H A Fox & Co, London with the original registration 'ALP 22B'. Our vendor acquired the car in 2006, since when it has been in professional storage. The Keeper History is very extensive - 35 pages - and has a handwritten note added by the DVLA compiler, Phil James, which reads: "Please accept my apologies for the long delay. This has proved one of the hardest and longest history (sic) to construct. Many thanks for your patience."

The car also comes with a complete copy of the original 'History Book'/Rolls-Royce build record; an original SCIII owner's handbook; a quantity of old receipts and documents from prior to 2006; a set of colour photographs from around 2006; a few SORN confirmations during present ownership; and a spare key. Offered with a V5C.